Committee
Equal Opportunities Committee, 23 Oct 2007
23 Oct 2007 · S3 · Equal Opportunities Committee
Item of business
LGBT Hearts and Minds Agenda
Tim Hopkins:
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We have carried out survey work on sensitivities among LGBT communities, with a particular focus on the census. Local public bodies ask us how many LGBT people are in their areas so that they can plan their services properly, but we simply do not know the answers to their questions. We do not even know how many LGBT people there are in Britain. In general, we say that 4 to 6 per cent of people are lesbian, gay or bisexual, but we do not know the figures for certain. People move around—they go to big cities and so on. Getting an idea of the number of LGBT people in different areas would be helpful in planning public services and for other reasons.We would like the 2011 census to include a question about sexual orientation. We carried out survey work through our network before we reached that conclusion, as we were concerned about people's sensitivities about being asked such a question. Our network includes getting on for 1,000 individuals and 300 groups—around 100 of which are LGBT groups—throughout the country. In the survey, we received responses from around 150 people, which was reasonably good. Some 88 per cent of those people said that they wanted the census to include a question on sexual orientation. The same number said that if the census included such a question, they would answer it openly and correctly, and that they would not hide their sexual orientation. On that basis, we have said that the census should include such a question.There is a proviso, on which we will do more work over the next year. The people in our network asked to join it to get information about LGBT equality issues, and they may be rather more willing to answer a question about their sexual orientation than other LGBT people around the country. Therefore, we want to do more outreach work with other LGBT communities to find out whether similar numbers would be comfortable answering such a question. That said, we are already fairly sure that, generally speaking, LGBT people would be comfortable with the 2011 census including a question on sexual orientation. In the run-up to the census, publicity about why such a question was going to be asked would be helpful.Another proviso is that the issue of gender identity is different for transgender people. There are two reasons for that. First, there are a lot fewer transgender people than lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Secondly, equality for transgender people is perhaps two or three decades behind where it has reached for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. As a result, our feedback from transgender people has been that they do not think that the census should include a question on gender identity.
In the same item of business
The Convener:
Con
We move on to today's main business. It is my pleasure to welcome to the meeting Tim Hopkins from the Equality Network; Fergus McMillan from LGBT Youth Scotl...
Calum Irving (Stonewall Scotland):
I will kick off. I thank the committee for inviting us along. The hearts and minds agenda group, which has been hosted by the Scottish Government's equality ...
Tim Hopkins (Equality Network):
The Equality Network's main focus is on legislative and policy change at the national level. On the hearts and minds agenda group, I have been involved in th...
The Convener:
Con
That is helpful.
Fergus McMillan (LGBT Youth Scotland):
Thank you for the opportunity to talk about the group's work. For the members who do not know this, I work for LGBT Youth Scotland, which is a national organ...
The Convener:
Con
Hilary Third is here in an advisory capacity—we are pleased to see her.I would like to establish whether the new Scottish Government has given an undertaking...
Hilary Third (Scottish Government Public Health and Wellbeing Directorate):
Yes, the new Government supports the work of the LGBT hearts and minds agenda group. The three organisations that are represented today receive funding from ...
The Convener:
Con
To underline and to be crystal clear, although the group will not report until the end of the year, can you give us a steer on the key recommendations, which...
Tim Hopkins:
Yes, we can. We have a fairly good idea of the recommendations now. Each sub-group has drawn up recommendations, but they still need to go to the whole group...
The Convener:
Con
It is good to know that there has been a smooth transition and that the group's work is being supported.We now move to Bill Kidd, who has a question to ask o...
Bill Wilson (West of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
Too many Bills.In my previous existence as a statistician, I remember having difficulty gathering data on LGBT populations. In policy development, are there ...
Tim Hopkins:
We have carried out survey work on sensitivities among LGBT communities, with a particular focus on the census. Local public bodies ask us how many LGBT peop...
Bill Wilson:
SNP
Why do transgender people, as opposed to lesbian, gay and bisexual people, not want such a question to be included in the census?
Tim Hopkins:
There are several reasons. Definitions are part of the problem. We use the word "transgender" as an umbrella term that includes several different groups of p...
Calum Irving:
Data are important, particularly with respect to public services. It is important that public services know who they are serving and which communities they a...
Hugh O’Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD):
LD
You mentioned the 2011 census. Have you had any engagement with the compiler of questions and, if so, what sort of reaction have you had?
Tim Hopkins:
That is an interesting question. The census in Scotland is run by the General Register Office for Scotland. We have been talking to it about this for at leas...
Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab):
Lab
I can see the need for accurate data. However, are you concerned that the exercise might be counterproductive, because it might result in statistics being ga...
Tim Hopkins:
We know that there will be underreporting; we have to say that up front and be absolutely clear about it. The underreporting will be different in relation to...
Marlyn Glen:
Lab
So the idea would be to put the argument out to public bodies at the beginning that it is really important to get that information.
Tim Hopkins:
Exactly. Notwithstanding the underreporting, asking the question would show differences around the country; we would get some useful data out of it.
Bill Wilson:
SNP
You said that public bodies run the census. Do you know of any other nations that conduct censuses and ask such questions?
Tim Hopkins:
I do not.
Calum Irving:
There are some, but I could not name them. We could get back to you on that.
The Convener:
Con
Is there a question around confidentiality for anyone revealing such information in the census?
Tim Hopkins:
Census data is kept confidential for 100 years. It is not quite confidential at the point where the census people employ an enumerator, who is responsible fo...
The Convener:
Con
That is helpful.You mentioned some health implications. Should there be something like a checklist? For example, we know that questions about childhood sexua...
Calum Irving:
I cannot say whether a checklist or other specific mechanism would be necessary. A lot of work has been done, but we would like to see more being done to ens...
Tim Hopkins:
The Scottish health survey—which surveys 6,000 people each time it is done, and is therefore much smaller than the census—already asks people about their sex...
The Convener:
Con
Are you confident that enough people understand the definition of transgender?